On extra-cinematic activities:"I've been doing some work with a charity called Kids Kicking Cancer, which is an unusual charity. The rabbi (Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg who founded the org) is actually a martial artist and a black belt in karate. It's a very unusual organization -- he won't even have us call it a charity but a cause -- because he believes it's the kids who are helping us more then we're helping them. They are taught with various trainers across the country, and they're taught breathing techniques and focusing techniques and learning martial arts, which allows for a vast reduction in the amount of pain medication they have to use. It gives them a real purpose, and it's had some miraculous results. More than anything, though, it's the purpose that it gives them where they feel like they're achieving something"

On fellow actors:

"When I was younger, what made me want to act was the movie stars I was in love with, whether it was a Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Mitchum or even a David Niven, crazily enough. Sean Connery, of course, topped them all in my book, since I am Scottish.

"These characters, these actors -- just wanting so much to be them and live that life and to live the world that they created. I know this might sound very boring, but my fantasies in life was always to live within another story, another world, another fantasy. When I would watch movies or even television it would hurt so much wanting to be there, doing that and being in that character and in that world."

Gerard Butler has made a career out of confounding his critics. In recent years, the Scottish thesp, who recently turned 40, has played everything from an iconic, singing spectre ("The Phantom of the Opera") to a belligerent Spartan king ("300") to a London crook ("Rockn­Rolla") to a bereaved widower seeking brutal vengeance on his family's killers ("Law Abiding Citizen").Along the way, he's even managed to romance a lady or two.

That diversity in his choice of roles -- and ability to mix it across the action, thriller and romantic comedy genres -- has seen Butler emerge as leading man with more range than most.

"Anytime they think they have me pegged as one thing, then the challenge for me is to get out and surprise myself," Butler explains. "I feel I've only tapped into 10% of what I can do."

For Variety's Intl. Star of the Year, the dream to become an actor began, appropriately enough, with an actual dream at the age of 15.

Born in Glasgow, Butler spent much of his life in nearby Paisley before earning a degree and becoming a lawyer. Despite showing promise in the legal profession -- he was elected president of his school's law society -- the opportunity to pursue his passion for acting came when he auditioned for a stage production of Shakespeare's Roman tragedy "Coriolanus."

Now, more than two decades later, he is gearing up to star in a bigscreen adaptation of the play opposite Ralph Fiennes, who also makes his directorial debut with the project. Butler hopes that his current streak of box office success will enable him to continue to pursue more challenging and left-field roles.

"If I can keep making movies that perform at the box office, then it allows me to go and move into Shakespeare territory," Butler says. "I was talking to someone the other day and we were both surprised that I've actually been able to make it. I would always love to go off and make films like 'Dear Frankie' or 'Beowulf' even when there were larger projects around. In the long run that has paid off, but in the short term -- especially when those films didn't make any money -- it can make you a liability. But I wanted to do those films because I loved them."

This has been a good year for Butler. The romantic comedy "The Ugly Truth," in which he sparred with Katherine Heigl, and dark thriller "Law Abiding Citizen," co-starring Jamie Foxx, performed well in the U.S. and internationally. A clutch of buzzy projects in the pipeline -- including "The Bounty" opposite Jennifer Aniston and DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" -- underline his versatility.

Butler has also been ramping up activity at the Evil Twins shingle with his producing partner Alan Siegel, with the company nabbing a producer credit alongside the Film Dept. on "Citizen" and an expanding development slate, which includes "Teacher Man," about author Frank McCourt's 30-year career teaching in New York's public schools, and "Slide," about a former baseball player's attempts to fix his relationship with his child and estranged wife.

But don't expect Butler to give up acting in favor of donning a producer's cap.

"To be honest, 'Law Abiding Citizen' kicked the shit out of me, and it was a real breath of fresh air to work on 'The Bounty' and not have to worry about all that other stuff," Butler says.

He is also becoming less enamored of the grind of publicizing his projects.

"I've made two and a half movies and done press for three movies in the past four months, and it made me never want to do movies again because of the press situation," Butler concedes.

Last edited by Dallas on Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:42 am; edited 1 time in total

Anyway back on topic. He appears to be quite open in this interview, doesn't he? Admitting it was not all roses and lolly pops and that he would happily ditch PR work all adds up to someone who needs a break in my eyes.

Run away somewhere, Senor Butler. We can make up all sorts of silly sh!t while you're away.

He always seems to be walking the fence with being obsessed and in love with the movie making business on one side and being fed up and exhausted with it on the other. Do you think Butler is one of those people that has phases in his life's work, where he does completely different things at different points?

I mean, he was immersed in school and the legal profession for so long. Then when he grew dissatisfied with the emotional place that had him in, he went the acting route. Well, now that he's excelling in that area too, maybe he will enter another phase of his life.

Maybe all the press and stress and rigor of this business that he often talks about will finally be enough, and he will need to reinvent himself again. I could see the next phase of his life being about marriage and kids on a personal level, and humanitarian (maybe even political work as Helena's astrological opinion has hinted at) on a professional level.

I know I obviously don't know him from Adam, and I'm totally aware this is just fun speculation on my part. But based on his interviews, I see a recurring theme with him being fed up with the rigors and pressure of this business and a desire to tend to the more spiritual things in life (as he seems to recognize that Hollywood isn't what's truly fulfilling in life, helping your fellow man is).

He seems to vacillate between loving this business and wanting to get away from it all and find something more meaningful.

I will say this, if he does ever do a 180 on his life and enters a new phase, I'm sure he will still be involved in something that indulges his creative/theatrical side in some compacity. Like maybe holding on to his production company so he can still have a hand in things. He does seem to have a head for business (if not for PR, ha!), or is at least smart enough to choose the right people to delegate to for his business affairs.

Sincerely I believe he has this incredibly energy and humor and emotional sensitivity--and sometimes he uses it all up til he's beyond exhausted. Yet instead of resting, he's out on the pavement one party after the next. And this phase of his life keeps him from wanting to settle down. Maybe more spiritual enlightenment would help?!?

Perhaps he doesn't know how to be alone with his thoughts. (remember he said he lives a lot inside his own head---yikes....what a place that must be!) So, then, maybe that's why he must stay so busy. He doesn't wanna face who he is outside of his acting career and all the adoration. He needs validation, distraction and challenge. Oooooooh deep!